The Gospel reports that Jesus Christ and his disciples had left Capernaum and crossed into the region of Judea, on his final journey to Jerusalem. In a village, people began bringing their little children to Jesus to have him bless them or pray for them. However, the disciples chided the parents, telling them not to bother Jesus. 

However, Jesus, watching the proceedings told the disciples to let the children in. Mark 10:13-15 says: "But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, ‘permit the children to come to me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child, will not enter it at all.’”

It’s quite unfortunate that today, many of us don’t introduce our children to Christ while they are still young. We don’t take them to churches or other houses of prayer where they can receive spiritual blessings. Instead, we are quite busy with other aspects of life, such as work schedule and we don’t take church services seriously.

The issue of whether parents should force their children to attend church has been a divisive one. Some people claim that children should be left on their own and choose which kind of life they want to live once they have reached that age when they can make their own decision, including which religion to adopt.

However, parents are assumed to know what is right for their children because they want the best out of them. When a child is raised in a religious family, there are higher chances that he or she will also lead a spiritually and morally upright life.

It’s equally important that the parents should lead by example so that the children can see what they do and follow them. Children normally take their parents as role models. Therefore, it’s vital that they should have personal relationship with Jesus in order to share this kind of experience with their children. 

Parents should always talk to their children about spiritual matters in order to reinforce their commitments towards Christ while they are still young. They should tell them what Jesus is doing to the family. However, as the children grow older, and they can now make their own decisions, they should be presented with that personal decision of committing their lives to God.

It’s said that the family that prays together stays together. As Christian family, it’s quite important that we pray together daily. Why are parents finding it difficult to pray with their children together, even for only five minutes? And why are parents finding it difficult of going to confession and mass together as a family since this is among the best thing that you may probably do to the family?

There are also many benefits that children can get by going to church. Today, the influence of TV, Internet, computer games are taking over the lives of the children. But in church, they have chance to bond with their peers and grow with them together spiritually.

However difficult it might appear for some parents, this is what they should do so that their children grow up spiritually strong. They shouldn’t be like the disciples who wanted to alienate Jesus and the children, for as Eph 5:16-17 say "These are evil days. Do not continue in ignorance, but try to discern the will of the Lord.” Parents should lead their children to the power of spirit.